Typically when discharging particulate material, for example grain from a storage bin of the type having a lower discharge hopper, the material is discharged to an auger inlet spaced below the bin and a loading hopper is supported about the inlet end of the auger to guide the material into the auger. A typical construction of a loading hopper is described and illustrated in US patent application publication US2007/0056875 belonging to Hlady et al.
Typically loading hoppers however are generally not supported in a stable manner on the auger and rely on the weight of the auger to support the hopper in the proper orientation on the ground. Attempts to move the hopper or improper positioning of the hopper relative to the auger frequently causes spills and wasted materials. Some attempts have been made to strap typical hoppers onto the inlet end of an auger, however the attachment and subsequent removal of known strapping designs is typically awkward and time consuming while still providing insufficient support to move the hopper together with the auger from one location to another. The strapping typically therefore must be undone and the hopper dumped prior to moving the auger.
Other devices relating generally to hoppers for attachment to an auger include U.S. Pat. No. 5,845,762 belonging to Stark, U.S. Pat. No. 4,220,434 belonging to Letzig and U.S. Pat. No. 3,035,682 belonging to Fuerch. None of the prior art devices permit a commercially available hopper to be readily attached to an auger in a stable configuration both during loading and for moving in a manner which permits quick detachment and reattachment to the auger as may later be desired.